Kiss and Tell

Retelling a specific instance he experienced in the past, Alain de Botton produces comic effect in "Kiss and Tell" by using subtle characterization to make the situation relatable to all readers. Many people as teenagers see their fathers as "nerdy" or "uncool", similar to the father in "Kiss and Tell", as shown by "I'm looking at the light fixtures they have. They're new tungsten bulbs, Japanese things, quite wonderful, they use only a small amount of electricity but give off very nice light." Also, it is very common for parents to have pity arguments about very little things as do the parents in this story, "This is prime argument territory for them, Mum will be asking Dad where he put the park ticket and he'll get flustered because he'll just have dropped it into the bin by mistake." Furthermore, many parents embarass their children and do not seem to care one bit, like the mother who "decided that the presence of four hundred people in the auditorium should be no impediment to her desire to shout 'Isabel' at top pitch and with all the excitement a woman recognizing a long-lost friend on the deck of an incomin cruise ship." This all characterizes Isabel's parents in a comedic way in which all readers may relate to it.